Interactive R2-D2

I have to say that one of the most impressive personal(ahem..."toy") robots on the market is without a doubt the Interactive R2-D2 by Hasbro. When I first saw one sitting on a shelf in the clearance aisle at Toys Rus years ago, I was skeptical. I now have one, and am a skeptic no longer. I t is the closest thing to having a real R2-D2 that you could imagine. It is a must have for anyone who loves robots.

I think the most impressive thing is that the Interactive R2-D2 has no controller. The controller is you; the voice recognition is the best that I've ever seen in a "toy." The obvious goal of the brilliant creators was to create the feeling that you really owned and were interacting with a working thinking R2-D2. Games, music, dancing...R2 will even follow you.

The toy came on the market years ago in 2002, and then quickly vanished. Then ebay prices soured to about $400 or so for used ones as they became more and more rare. Then sudenly...bam, they were re-issued. In fact you can get one today. (Try Amazon for good prices. (Reliable retailer.))

R2 comes with 5 secret (not in the manual) commands:

1) The "Follow Me" easter egg can be activated by saying "Follow Me" in Companion Mode. R2 will then follow you if you walk slowly.
2) The "Come Here" secret feature is activated by saying "Come Here" in Companion Mode. R2 will use his heat sensor to attempt to locate you. Sit still.
3) Ask both 'Do you remember Darth Vadar?' and 'Do you rememberAnakin?' in any order and your R2 will do the imperial march.
4) When asked 'Do you remember Darth Vadar?' and 'Do you remember Han Solo?' and 'Do you
remember Chewbacca?' in any order R2 will do the throne scene.
5) If R2's laser light is on & you tap him on the head 3 times R2 will tango.


Click on the image below for another reliable online retailer that sells them: